USMNT's Geoff Cameron: Bruce Arena's decisions 'cost us going to the World Cup'

The USMNT’s failure to reach the 2018 World Cup has been dissected ad nauseam. Needing only a draw to reach the World Cup, the USMNT fell 2-1 at last-place Trinidad and Tobago while getting absolutely no help across CONCACAF.

Much of the blame was deservedly placed on Bruce Arena who was hired at Jurgen Klinsmann’s replacement with the sole purpose of getting the U.S. to qualify for Russia.

When the team failed to do so, players who were overlooked by Arena were quick to speak out. And in a Wednesday feature from The New York Times, USMNT defender Geoff Cameron ripped Arena’s flawed management during qualifying.

“Bruce Arena made decisions that cost us going to the World Cup. And I don’t have a problem saying it, because we had the right group of guys.”

He also added that the USMNT would have reached the World Cup had Klinsmann been retained.

Cameron, who plays for Stoke City in the English Premier League, was curiously benched for the final round of qualifying in favor of MLS defenders Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler.

According to Cameron, Arena had told him he wouldn’t start for any of the two crucial matches due to concerns about his fitness.

Cameron was told by Arena, even before the national team convened in October for the two games, that he would not be starting against Panama or Trinidad and Tobago because of concerns about his fitness. But Cameron said he couldn’t understand that reasoning, especially after he logged a full 90 minutes in Stoke’s victory over Southampton on Sept. 30 before reporting to U.S. camp.

USMNT's Geoff Cameron: Bruce Arena's decisions 'cost us going to the World Cup'

“I don’t have a problem saying it.”

I found this on FTW and wanted to share:
%link%
For more great sports stories ...
*visit For The Win: https://www.ftw.usatoday.com
*follow @ForTheWin: https://www.twitter.com/forthewin
*like FTW on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/usatodayftw